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I had a dream last night that I was preparing my jars with substrate (max fruiting formula), but I stupidly forgot to add the top layer of dry verm. In the dream I PC'ed the jars without the top layer. However, I had yet to inoculate them. Now I have a question, how should have I proceeded?

Should have I:1.) Left it as it is and crossed my fingers for no contams?2.) Made a glovebox and added the dry layer of verm?

Thanks a lot everyone.

--------------------In the end, my friend, we will all be together again.

Forget about the top layer of verm and inoculate anyway. Of course, you can still add a dry layer of verm, but opening the jars and adding (unsterilized) verm might cause contams. I've grown jars without the dry verm layer, and it works perfectly. The top layer is added to form a buffer zone between the substrate and the outside world. Dry verm is used because it holds no moisture and nutrients, so contams will have difficulty germinating in it. So if you keep any contams from getting into the jars (by taping the inoculating holes and covering the jars in tinfoil), the buffer zone isn't needed anymore.

So here's my advice: inoculate the jars, tape off the inoculation holes and put a tinfoil cap over the jar lids. If mycelium growth stalls after some time due to lack of fresh air, you can consider removing the tape from the holes and covering them with a filter.

Thanks for the reply. I was pretty sure I would be okay without it, considering that I am using poly-fil as the inoculation filter and I doubted that any contamination would occur as a result of having a little extra air in the top of the jar. Thanks again!

I was so worried about making sure I didn't blow myself up, considering this was the first time I had used a pressure cooker that I forgot the damned basics of PF tek.

--------------------In the end, my friend, we will all be together again.